March 26, 2003	Wednesday	Muharram 22, 1424

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WASHINGTON, March 25: President George W. Bush formally announced on Tuesday that he was asking Congress to approve $74.7 billion in new spending on operational, humanitarian and homeland security measures associated with the war in Iraq.

The money was needed for “the conflict in Iraq and for the global war against terrorism”, Mr Bush told a news briefing on Tuesday at the Pentagon.

The spending request includes about $63 billion for the Pentagon for the Iraq mobilization as well as the ongoing war on terrorism.

The measure will apply to the current fiscal year which ends on Sept 30.

“This spending should not be viewed as a spending that’s unwise, unrelated and unnecessary,” said Mr Bush, adding that every dollar spent on the war was needed to make America a safer place.

Mr Bush said he had informed the leaders of Congress that “the situation is fluid” and the administration requires “flexibility on how this fund is spent”. He asked Congress to “act quickly and responsibly” in approving the request for more funds.

He also asked Congress to release fund for relief and reconstruction in “free Iraq”.

A leading anti-war Democrat, Rep Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, blasted the president’s request.

“The bill for this unprovoked attack is just starting to come in, and the American people should start worrying that the administration has lost control over the costs,” said Kucinich, who is mounting a longshot bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.